Dry washer



E. P. MORGAN.

DRY WASHER.

APPLICATION HLED AUG. [3. 191B.

Patented Oct. 21,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Invenior E1192 P Moz'qan y WM M 77% iZZ flfiaz'neg/s E. P. MORGAN.

DRY WASHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-[$1918.

Patented Oct. 21,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Invenior Evor .P Moz'yan w 77mm M 7m 7223; Aii'orneyj l Evo'n P. MQRGAN, 0F PEDRO, cAmromiia.

DRY WASHER.

Specification'of Letters Patent. 3 i 1 19,

Application filed August 13, 1918. Serial a... 249,657. 5

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Evon P. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Pedro, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dry Washers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines of the class adapted to separate metallic values from finely divided ores or placer dirt by the dry process, and pertains particularly to a machine adapted to separate gold from placer sand and earth.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a machine of the class described,

7 in which particles of lighter specific gravity than the metallic values are separated therefrom by means of mechanical agitation and properly directed intermittent air blasts.

It is another object of this invention to provide a machine having aplurality of air blasts and riffles in a rifHe box arrangedand controlled so that separation of the metallic values takes place progressively along the riffle box, that is, the'larger and heavier particles are separated from the ore at the first air blast, and the -finer lighter particles at succeeding blasts. The result is a highly efiicient separation and a relatively high capacity. 7

I accomplish these objects by means of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure lis a side elevation of a dry washer. Fig. 1 is a fragmentary transverse section showing part of the gearing. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section showing the head end of the machine. Flg. 3 is a fragmentary perspective. view showing the means of securing the screens in the rifle box. Fig. 4 is a section as seen on the line H of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is'a fragmentary plan view of the bumper as seen on the line 55 of Fig. 2., f Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, a supporting frame is indicated by A. Mounted therein for shaking movement is the separating rifile box B- The air blast mechanism is indicated by G, and gearing for operating the separating rifiie box and air blast is indicated by D. The material to be treated is fed through a feeding structure E. Y

The supporting frame A comprlses two series of legs 6, one series on eachslde. The members of each series are connectedby These head pieces 7 and suitable cross pieces, 8. The head, pieces 7 extend beyond the legs at the head end so as to provide a support for the feeding structure. Near the tail end of the machine are rails 9 secured to the legs and arranged to support the gearing. Ex- 1 tending through the head pieces'are bolts 10 having eyes ll-on one end thereof. The bolts are fixed in position by wing nuts 12. Secured to the bolts at the eyes are links 13, and extending through the free eyes of oppositely disposed links are rods 14.

Resting upon the rods-14 and hungfrom theframe by means of the links 13 is the rifiie box .B. Y The box has a bed 15 and side Walls. 16 and 17 Counter-sunk. openings are formed inthe bed '15, carrylng screens- 19 are disposed therein. screens are preferably formed of wire mesh covered by a pervious fabric. Secured .and frames 18 i to'the lower railsof the frame are rifiles '20, V i

the wall by turning a'wing nut mountedupon the bolt 23 on the inside of the box. Disposed over the ends of the screen frame is a wedge block 24. It is obvious that by tightening the wedge 22 by means of the wing nut and bolt 23, the block24 is forced down upon the frame and securely holds the latter in position. At the head end a large opening is formed in the bed with a crossbar 25 transversely spanning the same. Fine mesh wire screens cover the opening, being connected to cross bar 25. In the troughand spaced above the screens 26. and 27 is a screen 28 of larger mesh, which receives the impact of the ore. falling from, the feeding chute. Secured. to the head wall 29 is a bumper block 30,;and disposed in a recess formed therein is a bowed metallic plate 31. Fastened to the frame A .is a buffer block 32, which has abuifer :to the tail end of the box andthe frameat each side, one being indicatedby 35. Springs 34 hold the box with the bumper and buffer plates in contact, and oppose the separation of the same. Secured to the under side of the box adjacent the tail end is a bracket 36, in which is journaled a roller 37 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Journaled upon the rails 9 is a shaft 38, which overhangs one of the rails and has mounted upon that end 'a fly wheel 39 and a pulley 40. Fixed to the shaft 38 below the roller 37 is a kicking cam 41, which is adapted to engage the roller 37, and thereby move the riffie box toward the tail end against theaction of springs 34. Springs 35 hold the box down upon the kicking cam. In this manner, the box is shaken. sprocket wheel 42 is fixed to shaft 38 and in gear therewith is a chain 43, which passes over a driving wheel 44. Driving wheel 44 is mounted upon a shaft which is journaled upon the rails 9, and has a hand crank 45 to operate the same. Journaled upon rails 9 is a shaft 46 carrying a pulley 47 which is geared to pulley 40 by means of a crossed belt 48. -Fixed to shaft 46 is a sprocket wheel '49. A second shaft 50'is journaled upon rails 9,and has sprocket wheel 52 and a similar sprocket wheel fixed thereto. A third shaft is journaled on rails 9, and has fixed thereto a sprocket wheel 54. Passing over sprocket wheels '49 and 52 is a chain 55, and passing over the other sprocket wheel on shaft 50 and sprocket wheel 54 is a chain 61, so that shafts 46, 50 and 53 are geared to each other to run in synchronism. Shafts 46, 50 and 53 each have a cam fixed thereto, and as the cams are identical in construction only one will be described, namely, that mounted on shaft 53. Referring to Fig. 2, cam 56 has two high points for engaging a plate 57011 a bellows.

There are three bellows, 58 and 59 and 60. As each bellows is the same in construction, only one will be described, namely 58. Referring to Fig. 2. The bellows is fastened at one side to the bed 15 of the rifile box with the opening through screen 19 serving as an outlet. In the movable side 61 of the bellows is an'inlet controlled by a flap valve 62. The weight of the movable side tends to hold the bellows in expanded position. It is evident that upon rotation of the cam 56,'the bellows will be compressed forcing air through the screen 19. Upon each revolution of the cam there will be two strokes of. the bellows. Bellows '59 forces air through a screen in the bed of the rifile, and bellows through still another screen. Although I have shown herein three bellows for a like number of screens, yet my inventionis not confined to any particularnumber of screens orbellows.

The kicking cam 41. and thebe'llows cams are so geared to each other'thata blast of air is blown through the screens in the riflle box upon each backward movement thereof. Thus, during backward movement of the box, the air holds the lighter particles in suspension, and causes them to move over the riflles downwardly toward the tail, end of the rifiie box.

The feeding structure comprises a chute 64, at the head end of which is a hopper 65. The chute 64 is fixedly secured to the frame A and has a smooth floor down which the material to be separated passes' As placer dirt often contains black sand, which is iron ore, I have provided means for separating the black sand from the dirt. A slit 66 is formed in the floor of the chute, and in register therewith is an outlet pipe of a blower 68. The propeller of blower 68 is geared by a belt 69 to fly wheel 39.

. Supported above the slit 66 in the chute is a spout 70, upon which is wound a coil of electrical wire 71. The terminals of the coil 71 are connected to a battery of electrical cells 7 2, and included in the circuit is a switch '73. Upon energizing the coil 71 by closing the switch 7 3 a magnetic field is created which'tends to draw the black sand into the spout 70 and hold it therein. The blasts of'air from the pipe 67 help to suspend the material passing thereover, and assist the spout in picking up the black sand. When there is a sufiicient accumulation of sand in the spout a receptacle may be placed thereunder and switch 73 opened, whereupon the sand will drop into the receptacle. Thus, the spout is cleaned.

The hopper is'filled with the ore, which passes downwardly over the chute. The switch 73 is closed, and the hand crank 45 turned. A blast of air blows through the slit 66 in the chute, lifting the ore, whereupon the bla'ck sand is picked up by the solenoid spout, and the fine flour dust is eliminated before entering the riffle box, thereby increasing the capacity of the machine. The kicking cam causes the rifile box to shake, the latter swinging upon the links 13 and at the end of each'stroke a'jolt is given the box by reason of the bumper. At the same time the bellows are operated to blow blasts of'air through thescrcens in the bed of the box. The blasts are timed to occur between the jolts. The material passing over the riffie box-is thrown into the air, the lighter particles or debris descending after the values. Just as the heavier particles or values or a portion of them reach-the bed of the box, the olt occurs, moving these particles toward the riffies, and the lighter particles or debris drop upon the bed in advanced position. At the riffies 'the *debris passes over the top. There is an intermittent agitation of the 'inaterial' in -the-di*rection of the length'of the box, as well as normal "thereto. The ore falls from the chute upon the screen 28, which breaks its fall; it then passes through the opening in the screen falling upon the screens 26 and 27. The fine dust passes through the meshes of screens 26 and 27, and that remaining on the top of the screen passes toward the tail end of the machine. The ore as it reaches the screen 19 is lifted by the air blast, the heavier particles being only slightly disturbed and lodging against the head face of the riflie, where it collects. The lighter particles pass over the riffle by reason of the shaking action of the trough, and are moved to the next screen. At the next screen the intensity of the air blast is not as great. There is therefore, a more thorough separation, but the capacity at this screen is not as great as at the first screen. The gangue or dirt passing over the second rifile still contains some values and passes on to the last screen, where the air blast is less intense than the second screen. Here again separation takes place and the dirt or gangue passes off the trough at the tail end. By changing the follower block on the bellows so that blocks of more or less thickness are used, the intensity of the air blast may be regulated.

An important feature of my invention resides in the use of a plurality of bellows and screens, whereby only the heaviest particles are separated at the-first screen. Heavier particles arethen progressively separated at the other screens. This results in a machine of high capacity and efiicient separation.

What I claim is:

1. A separator comprising in combination a shaker having an opening in the bed thereof pervious to air but impervious to the material being treated, a transverse rifile at the tail side of said opening, means .to create intermittent air blasts through said opening, and means to vibrate said shaker longitudinally between air blasts and jolt the table at the end of its travel toWard the head.

2. A separator comprising in combination a shaker having a plurality of openings in sequence in the bed thereof pervious to air but impervious to the material being treated, transverse riffies at the tail sides of said openings, means to create intermittent air blasts through said openings, said means being regulable to vary the air blasts through each opening independent of the others, and means to vibrate said shaker longitudinally and jolt the same at the end of each vibration and between air blasts.

3. A separator comprising in combinationthe bed thereof pervious to air but impervious to the material being treated, said openings being arranged in sequence longi-- tudinally of said shaker, transverse riffles at the tail sides of said openings, and means to create intermittent air blasts through said openings, said means being regulable to vary the air blasts through each opening independent of the others.

4. In a separator, the combination of a frame, a shaker mounted to vibrate longitudinally therein and having a plurality of openings in the bed thereof pervious to air but impervious to the material being treated, said openings being arranged in sequence longitudinally of said shaker transverse rifiles at the tail sides of said openings, the means to create intermittent air blasts through said openings, said means being regulable to vary the air blasts through each opening independent of the other.

5. In a separator, the combination of a frame, a shaker mounted to vibrate therein and having a plurality of openings in the bed thereof pervious to air but impervious to the material being treated, said openings being arranged in sequence longitudinally of said shaker, transverse riflies at the tail sides of said openings, bellows to create air blasts secured to said shaker, one for each of said openings and disposed to' discharge therethrough, means to operate said bellows, and means to vibrate said shaker longitudinally and jolt the same at the end of each vibration. V r

6. In a separator, the combination of a frame, a shaker mounted to vibrate therein and having a plurality of openings in the bed'thereof pervious to air but impervious to the material being treated, said openings being arranged in sequence longitudinally of said shaker, transverse riffles at the tail sides of said openings, said riflies being undercut at the head face, bellows secured to said shaker, one for each of said openings and disposed to discharge therethrough, means to operate said bellows, and means to vibrate said shaker and jolt the same.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname this 7th day of August, 1918. 7

I EVOR P. MORGAN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

